Tres Monos isn’t just one of Buenos Aires’ best places to get a cocktail. The bar, whose name translates to “three monkeys” in Spanish (referencing the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” proverb), is also one of the best places to learn how to make a drink.
In 2019, partners Charly Aguinsky and Sebastián Atienza (later joined by the “third monkey,” Gustavo Vocke) took over a two-story corner building in the Palermo Soho neighborhood, adorning it with a neon pink sign that still announces the bar today. The bartenders always knew they wanted to serve more than just delicious drinks. As former brand ambassadors, they were equally at ease behind a bustling bar counter as they were in front of a projector and training teams. “From the outset, we knew Tres Monos would be more than just a bar; it would also function as a consultancy and a school,” says Atienza. “It’s ingrained in our work ethos.”
The initial step to making their dream a reality involved establishing a drinks academy on the upper floor of the bar. “This is where our studio is based, serving as a dedicated space for training individuals [who are] passionate about the industry, those looking to pursue mixology or refine their skills,” says Atienza. In cohorts of around 10 students, beginner bartenders start their careers here, learning from Fede Cuco, one of the foremost authorities in Argentina’s drinks scene. Renowned not only as a practicing bartender but also as a drinks researcher, he shares insights into the stories behind classic cocktails and pivotal developments in modern bartending, like distillation and clarification.
In 2021, amid the pandemic, an opportunity arose for the bar to expand its educational efforts beyond Palermo, to nearby Barrio Padre Carlos Mugica (or simply Barrio Mugica, for locals). The neighborhood is one of the city’s most historically marginalized: an area with no public schools, a struggling public health system and declining infrastructure. In partnership with the Entrepreneurial and Labor Development Center (CeDEL) of the city of Buenos Aires, Tres Monos bartenders provided training to young residents of the area—many of whom had never before handled a bar spoon nor tasted a sip of mezcal—for two years, in facilities provided by the municipal government.
When the official project concluded at the end of 2023, the partners decided to continue on their own: They leased a space in Barrio Mugica and expanded their offerings to include new programs, such as barista and sommelier trainings. “Our objective was to sustain this initiative, to provide training and to create job opportunities for the local community,” says Atienza.
Around 70 people have already attended the classes, where students learn the ABCs of mixology, starting from the basics—such as how to use strainers, muddlers, cocktail jiggers and bar spoons—to spirits tastings to preparing classics like the Penicillin and Manhattan.
“The course spans about eight sessions, split evenly between theoretical classes and [classes where students] get the chance to put theory into practice,” says Agostina Gerling, one of the bartenders at Tres Monos, who also teaches classes. Gerling and the rest of the teaching staff also help students with other career skills, like writing résumés and preparing for job interviews.
When he applied for the initial program—among nearly 100 other applicants—Alcides Damián Mendoza, also known as “Chino,” had limited knowledge of mixology and lacked formal employment. Through the classes, he discovered a new passion: “I became enamored,” he says. Today, Mendoza is part of the Tres Monos team, alongside four colleagues who also completed the course.
During the morning shift, Mendoza prepares mixes, calibrates machines and ensures that everything is set for the bartenders. “I came here with little knowledge, and now I thoroughly enjoy my work,” he says. “What I thought would be just a course has become a new professional path in my life,” he adds. In the future, Mendoza intends to venture into his own bartending-related business.
Of course, genuine professional development for a bartender takes place behind the bar, particularly in the interactions with customers during service; it is fundamentally a hospitality-driven profession, after all. But Gerling says that the course is more than a helpful gateway to the world of drink-making. The classes she and others teach emphasize maintaining a strong work ethic and collaborating effectively in a team, traits she hopes to foster in the next generations of bartenders.
Jessica Herrera, a resident of Barrio Mugica, was inspired to enroll in classes after coming across a CeDEL publication announcing them. She appreciated the classes—not just because of the techniques she learned, but also because of the bartenders she had the opportunity to meet. “The master classes stood out, as I began connecting with remarkable professionals of this industry, like Fede [Cuco],” she says. “The experience felt surreal.” Upon completing the course, she commemorated the achievement with her family by making them the cocktails she had mastered.
Shortly after, she received an invitation to join the team at Cacho, a streetside rotisserie counter within the Tres Monos group that serves tortillas, tapas, vermouth and cocktails. “I started as a runner, then transitioned to working on the floor as a waitress, and eventually became a cashier,” Herrera says. “Since then, I’ve never left, and I feel like I’ve found where I belong.”
